Caskets are a symbol of death and remind people of their own mortality. For this reason, the sight or thought of a casket can often times be disturbing. Although, caskets are not necessarily a desirable discussion topic, caskets are a necessary and common part of the process of disposing of human remains. However, the fact still remains that the sight of a casket can have a depressing effect on the persons viewing a casket. Thus, there is a need to soften the visual effect of caskets to alleviate the angst of those who may be viewing such caskets.
For many years, people have tried to diminish the visual effects of caskets. Many efforts to soften the visual effects of a casket have focussed on the interior of the casket and the position of the body in the casket. Previously, others have attempted this by creating devices to draw attention to the deceased and away from the casket's appearance. Therefore, improvements in the field of casket making have centered on providing a casket which presents the body in a restful or peaceful position for viewing by mourners.
Still other efforts to diminish the impact of a casket's appearance have focussed on changing the external form of the casket. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,627 issued to Shepherd teaches a casket arranged in a manner to imitate a bed upon which the body displayed therein is made to appear sleeping restfully.
In the past, it has not been practical to prepare a custom design that could reduce the visual effects of the casket. As a result, choices for burial industry customers have been limited to standard finishes for commercially available caskets. Little or no innovation in casket style and design has surfaced in the industry over the last several decades. Most changes have focused on providing an increase in the variety of available casket colors. There has been no practical means to truly personalize a casket to reveal some insight into the personality of the deceased person.
Although there has been little change in casket design for some time, there is a growing desire for customized caskets. The funeral/casket industry is under increased pressure to provide options for price-sensitive buyers without sacrificing incremental margin. In addition, the funeral/casket industry has targeted pre-need purchases as a growth area. To accommodate the desires of these purchasers, the industry will need to provide custom designed caskets.
The present invention masks the environment within which the deceased is laid to rest by providing a casket cover system which has high aesthetic qualities that depart from the typical mournful funeral effect incident to prior art burial caskets. The casket cover of the present invention encourages pre-need sales by permitting individuals the opportunity to participate in their own Epilogue (how they wish to be remembered).